Metal insert for card stencils



July 8, 1941.

H. P. ELLIOTT METAL INSERT FOR CARD STENCILS Filed Sept. 17, 19 4o I 22L INVEER BY a Q XZI gQNEY Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT l llen mon LP. Elliott, Wateitown, Mass, assignor to .The Elliott Addressing Machine. Company, a

corporation of'Massachusetts Application-September 17, 1-940, Serial No. 35min r V t t The invention relate to an improvedibrm of card stencilin which a sectional panel provides two printing--fields,-one a fixed and permanent part the card stenciland the other-removable,- to permit renewal thereof or" the substitution-of another section bearing a di'fierentlegend.

One of the many uses-theinvention is adapted to serve is toprint-addresslabels,-wrappers or the like for shipping books; magazines or other periodicals, '-for example, to distributors whohave standing orders with the publisher for a certain number ofsuc'h publications-each Week or month. For the guidance of the publications shipping -clepartment in' making upthe packages, provision is made for accompanying the address on the label or wrapper with a printed indication of the number of publications to be shipped to each distributor.---As the number ordered changes from time to time, as business conditions vary, the stencil panel section providing the printing field for the number indication, is made readily removable for instant-replacement by a like section bearing the new number, without in any way damaging the card stencil or rendering it ineffective for immediate continued A card stencil of the same-type butof difierent construction, is disclosed-- in my pending application Serial Number 288,128, filed August 3, 1939, which is designed for-use of tax'departments in printing and addressing tax bills or notices and like the present stencil, employs a sectional panel-providing two-printing fields, one of which serves'for rarely changed-data as to the property boundaries, 'loatiom-etc, and the other for the name and address of the owner, which changes fairly ofte'n.- In that stencil ,-the removal of the lastmentioned printing field is effected by tearing out the lightly cementedpanel section and replacing it with a similar sec tion, bearing the name and address of the new owner.

While that method of substitution has been successfully used for a considerable period of time and is practically effective, it is open to objection for a number of reasons, prominent among which may be mentioned, the time and labor required in the operation of removing the old panel section and re-cementing a new one, andthe risk of damaging the card stencil in making the substitution and 'stencilizing the new panel section after it is-substituted. I

- To avoid the above and other objections, an insertible panel section issubstituted for the above described cemented section and'a passage Fig. 1 shows the upper side of the way is provided to receiveit between t layer cardboard frame oftl-iestericil V is frictionall-y held securely in position, but may be readily removed whenever desired; To-enable blank panel section's to tie-prepared complete and stencilized before being inserted in the stencil frame and-to facilitate such insertion, the stencil tissue of the section is provided with a surrounding edge reinforcement-oi very thin sheet metal, to which the tissue is-adhesivelysecured. Thou'gh strengthened and stiffened by the metal reinforcement, the panelsectionre mains sufficientl'y flexible to be handled without 7 difficulty in a typewriting -machine by which the stencil is cut inthe usual manner. 7 In the present embodiment oi the'inve 'tion the card stencil frame, disclosed in my'pendihg application, Serial N0; 288,127, filed' Au'gust e, 1939, is employed and is formed, as above stated,- of two layers of cardboard or other suitable ma'- terial, with a welt sheet interposed and adhesively secured betweenthem. 7 The panel opening in the Welt sheetismade'smaller'than-either of theopem'ng's in-the cardboardlayers, which also vary in size, to expose-on one side i the stencil, a fairly'wide marginal edge of -the welt sheet around theopening therein, to -wl iiehthefixed or permanent stencil panel tissue'is se cured 1,.

The permanent and theremovable'panel sections are positioned o-n opposite sides of the welt sheet which, thus interposed, separates-thetwo sections, permitting the meeting ends thercof to pass each other without interference and 'over' lap sufiiciently to bring the thin metal edge-oi the removable section into supportingrelation with the free end edge of the adjoining panel section, to reinforce and protect it from dam-age by the action of the printing roll when the stencil is in use.

7 Other structural features andpurposes--served by the invention, not specially-mentioned above, will be made clear in the detailed description that follows. 1 In the accompanying drawing, I have illus' trated one form of card stencil suitablefor car rying my invention into-efiect but the construc-' tion shown is to be understood as an illustration only, and not as defining the limits of the inven-' tion and that no limitations areintende'd' other than are imposed by the scope of the appended claims. I I r In the drawing I card stencil that is presented in use in an addressing machine for cooperation with the inking roll, parts being broken away to more clearly show the construction.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line s -s of Fig. 1, with the parts shown separated and exaggerated beyond true proportion for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line s s of Fig. 1, with the parts separated and exaggerated, as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar section on the line s -s of Fig. 1, with the parts shown in perspective and Fig. 5 shows the panel insert removed from the card stencil frame.

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown the present invention applied, as above stated, to a card stencil constructed substantially in accordance with the disclosure in my pending application, Serial No. 288,127, filed August 3, 1939, and wish to make clear that this is merely for convenience of illustration and not an in-- As shown, the card stencil employs a two-layer laminated frame, indicated generally at l, providing the usual panel opening, indicated generally at 2.

The panel opening 3 in the front layer frame, is made somewhat larger than the opening 5 in the back layer 6, so that when the two layers are assembled and united, a depressed marginal edge 'I of the back layer is exposed around the opening therein and serves to reinforce the inner projecting edge of the welt sheet, to which the stencil tissue is attached, as hereinafter described.

The welt sheet 8 is interposed between the front and back frame layers, being adhesively secured thereto and provided with a window 9, which is made smaller than the panel opening 5 in the back layer 6 and with the window therein thus dimensioned, the welt sheet entirely covers the marginal edge I and extends slightly beyond the same, as indicated at 8 in Fig. 1, into the opening as a protective covering to prevent the stencil tissue from being cut by the edge of the panel opening in the squeeze of the printing roll, when the stencil is in use, a feature which forms no part of the present invention, being fully described and claimed in my pending application, Serial No. 288,127, above referred to.

The stencil panel covering the window in the welt sheet, is formed in two sections 10 and I I.

The panel section Ill is fixed by being permanently secured to the marginal edge 12 of the welt sheet that is exposed within the larger panel opening 3 of the frame layers. This panel section is designed to contain matter that is rarely changed, such as the name and address of a distributor of periodicals or the like.

The section I I contains matter that is changed more or less frequently, as for example, the number of periodicals to be sent weekly or monthly to the addressee of the stencil and to enable the change to be conveniently made whenever required, the section II is removably held in a cross passage I3, between the welt sheet and the back frame layer, from which it may be readily withdrawn from the right hand end of the stencil as viewed in Fig. 1, and replaced by another section bearing a different number.

The cross passage is provided, when the laminated frame is formed, by omitting the adhesive from that portion of the meeting surfaces re- 4 of the served for the removable section and to enable the delicate stencil tissue It to be inserted in the passage, by forced entrance between the welt sheet and the back frame layer, the tissue is reinforced with a metal edging by being attached to a paper-thin sheet metal carrying frame 15, which is stiff enough to cut its way through any surface inequalities or other obstructions met with in the passage.

The sections In and II extend from opposite ends of the panel opening and meet in overlapping relation at an intermediate point therein, with the free end of the permanent section above and supported and protected by the metal reinforced end edge of the removable section against damage by the action of the printing roll, which makes direct contact with the same when the stencil is in use.

In the above described construction, the welt sheet is interposed between the panel sections and serves to maintain them in separated relation and prevent interference and damage as the meeting ends pass each other when the removable section is inserted in the cross passage.

To provide a thumb and finger hold on the removable panel section for withdrawing the same from the cross passage, an end notch is formed in the laminated stencil frame, as indicated at 16.

Prominent among the many advantages of the invention may be mentioned the following:

The removable panel section is prepared as a complete unit and stencilized before being inserted in the card stencil frame.

Any number of blank sections may be held in reserve, ready, on being stencilized, for instant use.

The insertion of the removable section in the cross passage of the card stencil frame does not perceptibly increase the thickness of the frame or result in any change in the form or dimensions thereof that would in any way interfere with or create difficulty in the use of the stencil in prese11t-day addressing machines.

There is no adhering attachment between the removable panel section and any other part or portion of the card stencil, the panel being held in position by friction only.

Frequent insertion and withdrawal of the removable panel section involves no risk of damage to the card stencil and causes no perceptible wear and tear of the same.

The sheet metal carrying frame of the removable section may be used indefinitely by renewing the facing sheet of stencil tissue thereon.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A card stencil comprising a laminated frame providing a panel opening, a windowed welt sheet positioned between and attached to the frame laminations, a stencilizable panel formed of a fixed section and a removable section covering 2. A card stencil comprising a laminated frame providing a panel opening, a windowed welt sheet positioned between and attached to the frame laminations, a stencilizable panel formed of a fixed section and a removable section covering the window in the welt sheet, the said panel sections extending from opposite ends of the window and meeting in overlapping relation at an intermediate point therein, and a metal frame carrying the removable panel section and insertible with it by forced entrance between the welt sheet and one of the stencil frame laminations which removably hold it in position.

3. A card stencil, as defined in claim 1, in which the welt sheet is positioned between the fixed and movable panel sections to separate the same and prevent interference as the meeting ends thereof are moved past each other into overlapping relation by relative movement of the sections.

4. A card stencil, as defined in claim 1, in which the overlapping end portions of the fixed and removable panel sections are free of attachment to each other.

5. A card stencil, as defined in claim 1, in which the fixed and movable panel sections are relatively positioned in the stencil frame to present the free end of the fixed section for cooperation of a printing roll above the reinforced end of the removable section it overlaps.

6. A card stencil, as defined in claim 1, in which the overlapping end of the fixed panel section does not extend beyond the metal edging of the removable section.

'7. A card stencil comprising a two-layer laminated frame of cardboard providing a panel opening, a welt sheet attached between the two frame layers and having a window therein of smaller dimensions than the panel opening in the frame to expose the marginal edge of the welt sheet around the window, a stencilizable panel covering the window in the welt sheet, the said panel being formed of a fixed section permanently attached on one side of the welt sheet to the exposed marginal edge thereof and a removable section positioned on the opposite side of the welt sheet and insertible by forced entrance between the same and one of the frame layers, the said removable panel section being provided with a thin sheet metal frame to which it is adhesively attached and which normally overlaps the end of the fixed panel section as a strengthening support for the same.

HARMON P. ELLIOTT. 

